About Buckrider Books

Buckrider Books: Our poetry and fiction imprint

The name and colophon come from the legend of the Buckriders, or de Bokkenrijders, a tale that emerged in the Limburg regions of Belgium and the Netherlands during the eighteenth century. According to the legend, several bands of robbers made a pact with the devil, and they flew through the night sky on the backs of magical goats, robbing local farms and churches. Word of the buckriders triggered a panic that resulted in a brutal series of persecutions, kangaroo courts and mass executions that eclipsed even the infamous Salem witch trials in the New World.

The image of the Buckrider reflects the Dutch and Flemish heritage of founding publisher Maria Jacobs and Senior Editor Paul Vermeersch, who is heading up the imprint. Our aim is to publish books that are daring in theme and style, that challenge established perceptions or that risk an outlaw sensibility. This is why our books will be emblazoned with the masked figure and flying goat of the Buckrider.

In September 2017, Senior Editor Paul Vermeersch formed an editorial advisory board with poet Canisia Lubrin, novelist Jen Sookfong Lee and Griffin Prize–winning poet Jordan Abel. The mission of this board is to increase the editorial reach of Wolsak & Wynn Publishers, Ltd., and its Buckrider Books imprint, and to respond to the need for more diverse editors in Canadian publishing overall.